Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Use of electric motor actuators in a wide array of engineering design can be attributed to the ease of introducing motion and the need for preventing motion as required by a mechanism or system. An ability of actuators to enable control without use of oil has also made actuators a popular choice in various implementations. Electric motor actuators for robotic and automation systems often require a transmission (speed reducer) in order to operate within speed-torque requirements of a specific application and of the motor.
As an example, an electric linear actuator may exhibit a high speed and fast response that is useful when high acceleration and an ability to brake quickly are needed. However, linear actuators tend to have a high cost, require a cooling option based on heat generated, and are limited by a length associated with a given application. As another example, a stepper motor has a capability to be highly reliable but with diminishing torque as a speed of the motor is increased. There continues to be a vast majority of robotic and automation systems being developed with the aid of electric motors that are capable of performing a rotational motion.